emdia43 Posted March 2, 2018 #1 Share Posted March 2, 2018 Carnival and Royal Caribbean have canceled excursions that involve using the ferry over to the mainland due to explosive devices being found... https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mexico-blast/u-s-issues-alert-after-tourist-ferry-explosion-in-mexico-idUSKCN1GE0AC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProgRockCruiser Posted March 2, 2018 #2 Share Posted March 2, 2018 Interesting article, but there was no mention of Carnival and RC's reaction as you stated. Do you have a link to that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emdia43 Posted March 2, 2018 Author #3 Share Posted March 2, 2018 https://cruisefever.net/cruise-line-cancels-shore-excursions-mexico-warning-u-s-state-department/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hllb Posted March 2, 2018 #4 Share Posted March 2, 2018 It doesn't seem like an OBC is appropriate here. It should be a straight refund. I hope they get this figured out before my Christmas cruise! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProgRockCruiser Posted March 2, 2018 #5 Share Posted March 2, 2018 It doesn't seem like an OBC is appropriate here. It should be a straight refund. I hope they get this figured out before my Christmas cruise! EDIT: OK, now I see what you mean. Probably should quote the article for clarity (Statement from RCI): Passengers who booked shore excursions that involved taking a tourist ferry were refunded in a form of credit to their onboard account. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hllb Posted March 2, 2018 #6 Share Posted March 2, 2018 EDIT: OK, now I see what you mean. Probably should quote the article for clarity (Statement from RCI): Yeah, sorry LOL. I should've quoted it. Our excursion in Cozumel (which includes a ferry, in December 2018) is the one I'm most looking forward to! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProgRockCruiser Posted March 2, 2018 #7 Share Posted March 2, 2018 And to just think, I was starting to warm up to the idea of visiting Mexico via a cruise, after being quite concerned for years about the small but non-zero threat to my personal safety. Sigh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micahs Grandad Posted March 2, 2018 #8 Share Posted March 2, 2018 Every once in a while we have thoughts of doing Mexican Riviera and than realize better and safer places to go Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riffatsea Posted March 2, 2018 #9 Share Posted March 2, 2018 We have been to Cozumel multiple times and to many other ports in Mexico. Not going there is like saying you wouldn't visit NYC because there was a terrorist attack there. Bad things happen everywhere!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emdia43 Posted March 2, 2018 Author #10 Share Posted March 2, 2018 We have been to Cozumel multiple times and to many other ports in Mexico.Not going there is like saying you wouldn't visit NYC because there was a terrorist attack there. Bad things happen everywhere!! They aren't saying Don't go to Cozumel, they are saying do not use the ferry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salty dingo Posted March 2, 2018 #11 Share Posted March 2, 2018 The time it takes to cross over from Cozumel to the mainland on a ferry is a waste, in my opinion. There's plenty of fun stuff to do as soon as you exit the ship in Cozumel. Sitting for a couple of hours on a ferry and a bus afterward, is just not my idea of fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nic6318 Posted March 2, 2018 #12 Share Posted March 2, 2018 Every once in a while we have thoughts of doing Mexican Riviera and than realize better and safer places to go Hi Obviously it's a matter of perspective, but you have to realize that there are people traveling from many parts of the world that feel the same about travelling through the U.S. just to get on the ship. There are few "safer places" to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABQrobin Posted March 2, 2018 #13 Share Posted March 2, 2018 (edited) This happened last week and I am surprised it hasn't gotten posted here until today. I have been following it on a Cozumel scuba forum as well as contact with friend who live on the island. Here are their thoughts: 1. There have been 2 ferry companies working together in harmony for 10+ years. Ultramar and Mexico Waterjets. I have used both many times. 2. Barcos is a new ferry company that has joined in the service.... this is the one that had the "explosion" 3. All the stories published are not factual, some have good information, some are just rumors. 4. No one died, only two people kept overnight in hospital, others were treated and released with minor injuries. 5. Rumors, and I do mean rumors, are that it was terrorist plot due to political candidate that people want out of office. 6. Rumors, and I do mean rumors, are that a group has taken responsibility. 7. Several friends on Cozumel feel that the 2 original ferry companies are the ones that benefit from this explosion. 8. The original TWO ferry companies (each have several boats) are still running as scheduled. Nothing has stopped. Now.... would I be nervous using any of the ferries right now? A little bit. I am not telling people everything is okay. I am not telling everyone to cancel their excursions either. I, personally, think it is too early to find out what to do. If I was cruising to Cozumel in the next few months, then I might cancel. Otherwise, I would wait and see. What you do is up to you. Here is some basic info about the ferries: http://everythingplayadelcarmen.com/how-to-take-the-ferry-from-playa-del-carmen-to-cozumel/ robin Edited March 2, 2018 by ABQrobin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Becci Posted March 2, 2018 #14 Share Posted March 2, 2018 I lived in Cozumel for a couple weeks January 2017 for a training course and while I was there I heard rumors about turmoil between the newest ferry company, who had set up service directly from the cruise ships to the shopping area, and the cab drivers who were being undercut by this new service and losing out on business they would have had prior. Again, just rumors but it may have been some sabotage and not necessarily terrorism. Apparently the explosion happened while the ferry was without passengers so perhaps the intent was not specifically to hurt people. This kind of thing happens everywhere though, including many times right in our own hometowns so you can be scared of everywhere all the time. Just be aware of your surroundings. That’s really all you can do. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SadieN Posted March 2, 2018 #15 Share Posted March 2, 2018 Every once in a while we have thoughts of doing Mexican Riviera and than realize better and safer places to go Come join us on our nickel tour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gravedigger Posted March 3, 2018 #16 Share Posted March 3, 2018 John Herald on facebook said Carnival cancelled all trips to main land Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coevan Posted March 3, 2018 #17 Share Posted March 3, 2018 It doesn't seem like an OBC is appropriate here. It should be a straight refund. I hope they get this figured out before my Christmas cruise! Christmas? you do know it's March? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorncroft Posted March 3, 2018 #18 Share Posted March 3, 2018 Sounds like Cruise Excursion Wars would be a resounding hit addition to reality TV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hllb Posted March 3, 2018 #19 Share Posted March 3, 2018 Christmas? you do know it's March? Yes I do. That doesn’t mean it’ll be deemed safer by the end of the year though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BallFour4 Posted March 3, 2018 #20 Share Posted March 3, 2018 This happened last week and I am surprised it hasn't gotten posted here until today. I have been following it on a Cozumel scuba forum as well as contact with friend who live on the island. Here are their thoughts: 1. There have been 2 ferry companies working together in harmony for 10+ years. Ultramar and Mexico Waterjets. I have used both many times. 2. Barcos is a new ferry company that has joined in the service.... this is the one that had the "explosion" 3. All the stories published are not factual, some have good information, some are just rumors. 4. No one died, only two people kept overnight in hospital, others were treated and released with minor injuries. 5. Rumors, and I do mean rumors, are that it was terrorist plot due to political candidate that people want out of office. 6. Rumors, and I do mean rumors, are that a group has taken responsibility. 7. Several friends on Cozumel feel that the 2 original ferry companies are the ones that benefit from this explosion. 8. The original TWO ferry companies (each have several boats) are still running as scheduled. Nothing has stopped. Now.... would I be nervous using any of the ferries right now? A little bit. I am not telling people everything is okay. I am not telling everyone to cancel their excursions either. I, personally, think it is too early to find out what to do. If I was cruising to Cozumel in the next few months, then I might cancel. Otherwise, I would wait and see. What you do is up to you. Here is some basic info about the ferries: http://everythingplayadelcarmen.com/how-to-take-the-ferry-from-playa-del-carmen-to-cozumel/ robin https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2602523 I posted this thread the day it happened. These ferries are diesel powered, including the generators. Diesel will not explode like that. This has all the signs of a deliberate act. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stobe1 Posted March 3, 2018 #21 Share Posted March 3, 2018 Every once in a while we have thoughts of doing Mexican Riviera and than realize better and safer places to go Mexican Riveria is the west coast of Mexico. Cozumel is the east coast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
res2cue Posted March 3, 2018 #22 Share Posted March 3, 2018 The first explosion could have been a once off thing. The fact that they have found 2 more explosive devices on ferries since then tells me this is something to pay attention too. Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruising_is_life3535 Posted March 3, 2018 #23 Share Posted March 3, 2018 Still safer than the US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakersdozen12 Posted March 3, 2018 #24 Share Posted March 3, 2018 I was very sad to hear about this, because in my opinion visiting mainland Mexico is one of the best things you can do from Cozumel. Getting a chance to experience it’s rich culture and fascinating history has been one of my favorite memories from all of our cruises. We never once felt unsafe on our ferry rides. I do hope that Carnival is able to open excursions to the mainland back up soon. The time it takes to cross over from Cozumel to the mainland on a ferry is a waste, in my opinion. There's plenty of fun stuff to do as soon as you exit the ship in Cozumel. Sitting for a couple of hours on a ferry and a bus afterward, is just not my idea of fun. Have you ever actually done it though? Because I have, twice, and it was far from being a waste of time. My husband and I got to see both Coba and Chitzen Itza and they were incredible experiences we will never forget. Definitely worth the time it took to get there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABQrobin Posted March 3, 2018 #25 Share Posted March 3, 2018 All the cruise lines are cancelling excursions to the Mainland now. This will have a huge financial impact to those tour businesses. They don't rely totally on cruisers, but I bet it is at least half their tourism $$$. So until things settle down, it can be bad. I fell bad for everyone. Cozumel now is going to be very busy when multiple cruise ships are in port. A friend told me today that all the streets are packed with jeeps and taxis since the tourists are being turned away from ferries over. I bet all the local tour companies are crazy right now. So if you are doing a cruise to Cozumel, book your excursions ahead of time! robin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now